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B N W: Biafra Nigeria World News |
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Airlines cancel flights as protest hits Lagos Airport
THE on-going Nigeria Labour Congress' (NLC) strike has taken its toll on the aviation industry as skeletal services were rendered at the Murtala Muhammed Airport, Lagos yesterday.
Save for early morning flights by Chanchangi, Bellview, Sosoliso and Albarka with considerable number of passengers, the airlines combined their flights while some closed for the day.
Security operatives were seen patrolling the airport area.
The airport was like a graveyard as only few passengers came around to board planes. It was devoid of the usual hustling and bustling.
Heavily armed security personnel were stationed at the roundabout leading to the domestic wing. They were also at other strategic areas.
Security was also beefed-up around parastatals like the Nigerian Airspace Management Agency (NAMA), the Federal Airports Authority of Nigeria (FAAN) and the Nigerian Civil Aviation Authority (NCAA).
Workers who turned up for work rendered skeletal services.
At the international wing, foreign airlines operated, with flights coming in from various parts of the world.
Virgin Atlantic, KLM, Lufthansa and Air France took off and landed at the airport, which was also devoid of its bubbly nature.
Speaking with journalists, Operations Manager of Chanchangi Airline, Alhaji Mohammed Tukur, described the situation as terrible, stressing that government should not continue to encourage strikes all the time.
He argued that incessant strikes could discourage foreign investors from coming into the country to invest, adding that the country was losing much to the current action.
He lamented that his airline was only able to operate five flights as against its usual 20.
His words: "Capacity was low, which forced us to combine about three flights in one. It is unfortunate because we're rendering skeletal services."
Tukur argued that Labour and government ought to dialogue with a view to finding lasting solutions to the incessant strike actions.
He stated that domestic airlines were scheduled to hold a meeting yesterday on how to source their fuel but added that the strike had scuttled it.
The decision to source aviation fuel elsewhere at a reasonable price, according to him, would help the operators not to increase airfares.
He said operators were already discussing with some marketers to reduce the high cost of aviation fuel.
Some passengers yesterday criticised the government for not averting the strike, stressing that government was insensitive to the plight of Nigerians.
They expressed support for the strike, saying it would force government to rescind its decision to increase the prices of petroleum products.
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